


A Reason To Smile

by Drindalis



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Arkham Asylum, Character Death, Gen, Murder, Non-Graphic Description of Murder, why did I write this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 03:29:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12224811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drindalis/pseuds/Drindalis
Summary: It had taken weeks of planning this night, this special night where the world's most insane criminal was murdered in his cell. Well, maybe 'murdered' wasn't the right word. Murder implied that the victim in question was human, something that he didn't agree with at all.





	A Reason To Smile

The time had finally come.

It had taken weeks of planning this night, this special night where the world's most insane criminal was murdered in his cell. Well, maybe 'murdered' wasn't the right word. Murder implied that the victim in question was human, something that he didn't agree with at all.

What person could heartlessly kill thousands of people all for the sake of a joke? Who laughed in the face of the Batman himself, knowing that Bruce would never cross that line and rid the world of the Joker forever, even if it meant saving the future lives that murderer would take.

Well, no more.

He had finally had enough of it.

Jason Todd's murder should have been the last straw.

The torture that the whole Batfamily had gone through at the Joker's hands would be.

He slipped into Arkham Asylum easily, his training making it all too simple to slip past the guards and avoid security. Even Bruce's cameras were easy to avoid, just by knowing where they were placed and what shadows obscured what areas. It was one of the few perks of being on monitor duty back at the Batcave.

This opportunity would only come once. If he failed in his mission or was interrupted, security would be tightened to the point where he would never get a second stab at the job. 

There was a lot riding on tonight going well, and he intended to make sure everything went off without a hitch.

Before long, he was at the Joker's cell, having picked the key from a lazy guard's pocket a few minutes prior.

The Joker stirred in his sleep, perhaps sensing rather than hearing he had company even as his cell door silently swung open.

The clown would never fully awaken again.

The clown would never kill a child again either.

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

"We've got a four seventeen, suspect in custody, possible charge of two seventeen, armed with a handgun and murder in the first degree. Paramedics on site, location, Arkham Asylum."

The police scanner normally wasn't Bruce's first source of information, usually he knew about most of the dealings at Arkham long before the police did.

He grunted, standing up quickly. Within moments he was suited up, and rushing towards Arkham in the Batmobile.

Once he arrived he found Gordon shaking his head, a grim look on his face.

"That laughing son of a bitch is dead!" He said, disbelief evident as he crossed his arms. "Suspect is in custody now. I, um. I assume you would like some time to interrogate the witness? I can't allow that, but I can tell you that he's in the back of cruiser 4 and that I've got to go talk to some people over there," He gestured in a vague direction, "for at least the next five to ten minutes." With that, he purposefully looked away and strode over to a few orderlies that had evidently been closest to the scene of the crime.

Batman slunk over to the car, remaining in the shadows as he wondered which one of his adopted sons had finally taken it upon themselves to end the Joker's life.

"I suppose you'll be wanting an explanation, sir?" Alfred Pennyworth greeted him calmly from his seat in the back of the cruiser.

Batman's jaw dropped. "Y...you..."

Alfred raised his head proudly, despite the fact that his hands were cuffed behind his back. "Yes, I killed the Joker. And I would do it again. He will never... _never_ harm my grandchildren again. Never. And even if I have to spend the rest of my life in prison to atone for that, it is a price I'm very willing to pay."

Of course Bruce didn't let it get that far. It didn't take much to figure out which people would accept bribes and get Alfred's sentence lightened to house arrest and community service. The story had been spun that the Joker escaped and attacked the poor old butler during a visit with Bruce to see his close childhood friend Harvey Dent. 

Alfred smiled softly to himself a few weeks after the incident as Jason smiled more freely, Barbara agreed to continue with her physical therapy classes despite being told by her doctor that she still may not ever walk again, and Bruce finally began to join the family for dinner before patrol, and seemed much less tense than before.

Criminals in Arkham were stepping lightly, as many of them knew the Joker had been capped by a civilian in his cell. Harley was inconsolable, screeching and pounding at the walls at all hours of the night until they finally shipped her to an asylum out of the state.

None of the Batkids ever directly confronted Alfred about it, but the aging butler suddenly found the house constantly full of the fresh bread he enjoyed with his morning tea, as well as several digital versions of his favorite classical marches suddenly loaded on the iPod he received for Christmas the previous year.

Being able to wake Master Bruce from a nightmare and whisper 'He's dead sir, he can't hurt you or them or anyone else ever again' made the whole thing worth it.

The smiles of his grandchildren upon hearing of The Joker's demise were the only smiles the madman would ever create again.


End file.
